Celts look for late draft luck

Thursday

Jun 26, 2008 at 12:01 AMJun 26, 2008 at 8:48 AM

In the midst of the team's first title run in 22 years, Danny Ainge had to keep one eye on the prospects vying to be Boston's picks at Nos. 30 and 60 tonight. While any selection will lack the fanfare of those chosen with the Celtics pick in the previous two lotteries, the target at the end of the first round might have some value.

Scott Souza/Daily News Staff

Remember when we spent about two months each spring talking NBA draft? In the afterglow of a 17th NBA championship, tonight's parade of picks will be lucky to get two days of discussion around here.

And that's from the folks who are really into this sort of thing.

One of those folks is Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge. In the midst of the team's first title run in 22 years, Ainge had to keep one eye on the prospects vying to be Boston's picks at Nos. 30 and 60 tonight. While any selection will lack the fanfare of those chosen with the Celtics pick in the previous two lotteries - neither of whom ever wore a Boston uniform because of draft-night trades - the target at the end of the first round might have some value to a team looking to inexpensively fill potential openings on a luxury-tax roster.

"The later you're drafting, you're looking for guys who can fill certain roles on your team," said Ainge yesterday. "We are looking to find guys who can come in and contribute any way they can."

Ainge has actually had a much better history of finding contributors at this point of the draft than earlier. Al Jefferson, Delonte West, Tony Allen, Ryan Gomes, Rajon Rondo, Leon Powe and Glen Davis (and possibly Gabe Pruitt) were all strong picks that occurred outside the lottery. Ainge's only two lottery choices facilitated trades - the No. 7 pick in 2006 (Randy Foye) went to Portland in the Sebastian Telfair/Theo Ratliff/Raef LaFrentz deal, while the No. 5 pick last year (Jeff Green) went to Seattle, along with Wally Szczerbiak and West, in exchange for Ray Allen and the 35th pick used to nab Davis.

As far as tonight goes, there has been speculation that the Celtics will draft a player from overseas and choose not to bring him aboard for at least a year. This would save them from having to take a salary cap hit on a luxury tax squad, and would open up a roster spot for a more experienced player.

But for all the talk surrounding Ainge and foreign markets in recent years, he has never drafted a player who has not come out of an American college or high school. So while Congo power forward Serge Ibaka, French guard Nicolas Batum and Turkish center Omer Asik are possibilities with No. 30 - French center Alex Ajinca and Italian forward Danilo Gallinari both figure to be long gone before Boston picks - here are some slightly more familiar names who could be around when the Celtics are on the clock:

* Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis: The most prolific scorer on the best team in the country for most of the season, Douglas-Roberts is one of several potential replacements for Tony Allen should the Celtics opt not to sign the restricted free agent. He averaged 18.1 points and shot 54.1 percent for John Calipari's Tigers last season.

* Brandon Rush, Kansas: The 6-foot-7, 211-pounder appeared headed for last year's lottery before a knee injury forced him back to the Jayhawks for another year. While he initially dropped in mock drafts after his comeback, his stock is back on the rise (probably out of Boston's range) after helping Kansas to the NCAA title and having a strong workout schedule. Although he averaged only 13.3 points per game this winter, he shot 41.9 percent from 3-point land and figures to contribute with his defense and composure right away.

* Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky: With a smooth shot and great character, Lee could be a candidate to step in right away and spell Ray Allen at age 33 next season. The 6-foot-5 Lee averaged 20.4 points, shot 47.7 percent, hit on 39.7 percent behind the arc and played some point guard for WKU.

* Bill Walker, Kansas State: Already with an NBA body at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, this wing player is a tremendous prospect who averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds as a freshman in the Big 12. Although a project at only 20, he reportedly has a great work ethic, a bit of a fierce streak, and could replace Gerald Green as the dunker du jour in the league.

* DeVon Hardin, California: A popular pick for the Celtics in mock drafts due to his size (6-foot-11, 250 pounds) and defensive quickness that would seem to fit Tom Thibodeau's system, Hardin has yet to develop as an all-around player. He averaged just 9.3 points and 7.4 rebounds last year as a sophomore and shot only 55.4 percent from the line.

Other players who figure to go late first round: California power forward Ryan Anderson, North Carolina State power forward J.J. Hickson, Kansas point guard Mario Chalmers, Florida power forward Marresse Speights and the possibly sliding Georgetown center Roy Hibbert.

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